Rotatable Sink

ABSTRACT

A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationary unit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basin unit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to a second orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensed from the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basin downward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet to turn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the first orientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also be present to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.63/016,869 which was filed on Apr. 28, 2020, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationaryunit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basinunit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to asecond orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensedfrom the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basindownward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet toturn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the firstorientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also bepresent to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

Unique types of sinks are common. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,791to Perucchi disclose a kitchen sink having at least one main basin andan additional basin, wherein both basins have their own drains. Theadditional basin is formed as a protrusion in a side wall of the mainbasin and projects into the main basin. The additional basin may beprovided with accessories, such as a basin insert or sieve, and the sinkmay be provided with preparation board(s), which are adapted to theadditional basin and/or the basin insert.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,252 to Underbrink discloses a sink having abasin and a faucet assembly foldably mounted relative to the basin. Thefaucet assembly is rotatable between an upright position wherein thefaucet assembly protrudes out from the basin and a folded positionwherein the faucet assembly is received within the basin.

Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,708 to Lee discloses a foldablekitchen sink suitable for use as either of an outdoor sink and anoutdoor multipurpose table. The foldable kitchen sink comprises a pairof support members hinged to each other to be folded, the pair ofsupport members having a dishwater bucket and a grille, respectively,the dishwater bucket and grille being detachably mounted on the supportmembers. A pair of upper panels are provided at both side ends of eachof the support members such that they selectively cover the dishwaterbucket or the grille. A pair of twin legs and a pair of single legs arehinged to lower surfaces of the support members such that the twin legsare diagonally opposed to each other and the single legs are diagonallyopposed to each other. The twin legs and the single legs are foldable,and each of the twin legs comprises two legs connected to each other bya support beam extending therebetween.

However, these patents fail to describe a rotatable sink which is easyto use. Further, these patents fail to provide for a rotatable sinkwhich allows a user to turn on or off a faucet by rotating the sinkbasin or allows the sink basin to cover the faucet in one orientation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationaryunit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basinunit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to asecond orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensedfrom the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basindownward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet toturn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the firstorientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also bepresent to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

An advantage of the present rotatable sink is that in the upwardposition, the sink basin covers the faucet and creates a morestreamlined aesthetically appealing room.

And another advantage of the present rotatable sink is that therotatable sink is especially suitable for use in small spaces such as,for example, recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, campers, trains,campers, buses, etc.

Yet another advantage of the present rotatable sink is that, in anembodiment, a user may turn on or off the rotatable sink by simplyrotating the sink basin up or down.

Still another advantage of the present rotatable sink is that thepresent rotatable sink provides an increased sanitary environment as aresult of the faucet and sink basin being less exposed to theenvironment of the room than traditional sink setups.

And another advantage of the rotatable sink is that the presentrotatable sink may be touchless, having motion sensors.

And, in an embodiment, the rotatable sink may have a UV light feature toreduce or eliminate bacteria and viruses. The UV light may beautomatically activated upon a sensor triggering the presence of aperson.

For a more complete understanding of the above listed features andadvantages of the present rotatable sink reference should be made to thedetailed description and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the rotatable sinkin the upward position.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the rotatable sink of FIG. 1 in thedownward position.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the sink in an alternative embodimentwherein the sink basin and faucet are visible through a transparent (forillustrative purposes) side panel and wherein the sink basin is in theupward (closed) position.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the sink of FIG. 3 wherein the sinkbasin is in the downward (open) position.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment wherein the sink basin folds fromthe current upward position to the downward position of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 5 wherein the sink basin is inthe downward position.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the rotatable sink withadditional elements including sensors and a handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A rotatable sink is provided. The rotatable sink may have a stationaryunit having a faucet and a rotatable sink basin unit. The sink basinunit may move from a first orientation which covers the faucet to asecond orientation wherein the sink basin may receive water dispensedfrom the faucet. In an embodiment, the rotation of the sink basindownward to the second orientation automatically activates the faucet toturn on and the rotation of the sink basin unit upward to the firstorientation automatically turns off the faucet. A sensor may also bepresent to automatically activate the rotatable sink.

Referring first to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, a rotatable sink 1 isprovided. The rotatable sink 1 is preferably made of a durable materialsuch as, for example, metal, porcelain, plastic or the like; however, itshould be understood that the rotatable sink 1 of the presentapplication may be made of any suitable material.

The rotatable sink 1 may have a stationary member 10 and a rotatablesink basin 20. The rotatable sink basin 20 may rotate with respect tothe stationary member 10 at a pivot 30. The stationary member 10 mayhave a top 11, a bottom 12, a first side 13, a second side (notvisible), a front 15 and a back 16. In the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4,the stationary member 10 may also have side panels 89 (as discussedbelow). In an embodiment, the back 16 of the stationary member 10 issecured to a wall of, for example, a bathroom or kitchen or the interiorwall of a vehicle. Located on the front 15 of the stationary member 10may be faucet 18 which delivers, for example, water 19.

The rotatable sink basin 20 may have a top 21, a bottom 22, a first side23, a second side (not visible), a front 25 and a back 26. In anembodiment, the front 25 of the sink basin 20 may be the surfacegenerally visible to the user when the rotatable sink 1 is in the upward(non-usable or “off”) orientation of FIG. 1. The front 25 of therotatable sink basin 20 may also act as the water 19 collector when thesink 1 is in use. The back 26 of the sink basin 20 may face thestationary member 10 may be generally not be visible when the sink basin20 is rotated into the upward orientation of FIG. 1, 3 or 5. In theupward orientation of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sink basin 20 maycover the faucet 18 so that the faucet 18 is not visible when therotatable sink 1 is not in use (as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5).

In an embodiment, the sink basin 20 may receive the water 19 exiting thefaucet 18 when the faucet 18 is in use. In an embodiment, the sink basin20 may have a drain 40. The drain 40 may allow water 19 whichaccumulates in the sink basin 20 to be properly drained. In anembodiment, an exit tube or pipe 83 may be connected to the drain 40 andmay drain the water 19 into the proper pipeline within the wall. In anembodiment, not only will the drain 40 allow the water 19 accumulated inthe sink basin 20 to properly drain, but when the user (or automated viasensors 50 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) rotates the sink basin 20 upwardafter use, the excess water 19 in the sink basin 20 may be properlydrained off the sink basin 20 by gravity once the sink basin 20 isrotated upward, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5.

In an embodiment, the stationary member 10 may have a bottom unit 61.The bottom unit 61 may be permanently secured to the stationary member10 and may not move. The bottom unit 61 may house the drain 40. In thisembodiment, the rotatable sink basin 20 may rotate between the upwardposition and the downward position of (just like the prior embodiments);however, in this embodiment, the drain 40 is attached to the stationarymember 10 and is not located in the actual sink basin 20. In anembodiment, a front surface 25 of the sink basin 20 always remains atleast five degrees elevated from the floor so that the water 19 thatenters the sink basin 20 will automatically flow downward via gravity tothe drain 40 of the bottom unit 61.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a preferred alternative embodiment isshown. In this embodiment, the sink basin 20 may rotate at a pivot 30from an upward (closed) orientation of FIG. 3 to the downward (open)orientation of FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the sink basin 20 isgenerally rectangular in shape, having a front 71 and a back 72. Theback 72 may be open, allowing for water 19 accumulated within the sinkbasin 20 to flow off the back 72 of and out of the sink basin 20 whilethe front 71 may be open or closed, depending on the desired design. Thesink basin 20 may have a first side 73 and a second, generallyidentical, side (second side not visible). The sides 73 of the sinkbasin 20 may prevent water 19 from exiting the sink basin 20 at thesides 73.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the stationary member 10 may have afirst side panel 89 and a second, generally identical, side panel (notvisible). The first side panel 89 and the second side panel may providea structural support for the pivot 30 to allow the sink basin 20 torotate from the first position of FIG. 3 to the second position of FIG.4. The sides panels 89 of the stationary member 10 may also have a frontpanel 90 (therein forming a small interior hollow collection area 105defined by the front panel 90, the bottom of the stationary member 10and the bottom of the two side panel units 89). The front panel 90 maybe connected to the side panels 89 and may be angled so as to directwater 19 entering the collection area 105 toward the drain 40 located ina bottom unit 61 wherein the water 19 then enters the pipes of thebuilding.

In one embodiment, the sink basin 20 may rotate with respect to thestationary member 10 upon activation of a motion sensor 50. The motionsensor 50 may be located, for example, at the top 11 of the stationarymember 10 and may be able to tell when a person is standing directly infront of the rotatable sink 1 and ready to use the sink 1. Uponactivation of the sensor 50, the sink basin 20 may rotate down to thedownward positions of FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 during use. The sensor 50 mayalso, in an embodiment, automatically turn on the faucet 18 so thatwater 19 flows out of the faucet 18. Once the person moves away from thesensor 50, the faucet 18 may automatically turn off the water 19 flowand the sink basin 20 may automatically rotate back upward to the closedposition of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. Therefore, the sensor 50 may allow a userto use the rotatable sink 1 without the need to touch the rotatable sink1. As a result, the person's hands and the rotatable sink 1 both haveless chance of obtaining bacteria or other harmful pathogens.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the sink basin 20 is not permittedto rotate to a completely flat orientation with respect to the ground(similar to the inclined restrictive positon of FIG. 2). As a result,the front surface 25 (which also acts as the bottom) of the sink basin20 forces the water 19 to flow off the back 72 of the sink basin 20toward the front panel 90 and then to the drain 40 by gravity. In oneembodiment, the water 19 must reach at least 0.5 inch deep to exit theback 72 of the sink basin 20. In one embodiment, the back 72 of the sinkbasin 20 has a small opening drain as opposed to the entire back 72 ofthe sink basin 20 being open. In either embodiment, the water 19 exitsthe sink basin 20 by the back 72 of the sink basin 20.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, when the sink basin 20 is rotated inthe upward orientation of FIG. 3 the faucet 18 is preferably notvisible, as is instead obstructed from view by the front panel 25 of thesink basin 20. When the sink basin 20 is in the downward orientation,the faucet 18 is visible and usable. Further, in an embodiment, thefaucet 18 may automatically activate when the sink basin 20 is in thedownward orientation, as described above.

In an alternative embodiment, a sensor 80 (FIG. 7) may alsoautomatically dispense soap from a soap dispenser 85. In an embodimentwith the soap dispenser 85, the soap dispenser 85 may also be located onthe stationary member 10 (similar to the faucet 18) so that the soapdispenser 85 is concealed when the sink basin 20 is rotated in theupward position.

In yet another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sink basin 20may also be folded downward at a hinge 123. In this embodiment, thestationary member 10 generally lacks the side panels 89 of thestationary member 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4. An opening 116 may be present atthe back 72 of the sink basin 20 and may allow water 19 accumulated inthe sink basin 20 to exit the sink basin 20 and enter the drain 40 ofthe sink 1. Once rotated back upward into the closed position of FIG. 5,any remaining water 19 in the sink basin 20 will further exit throughthe opening 116 and enter the drain 40 via gravity.

And, in an embodiment, the rotatable sink may have an optional UV(ultraviolet) sterilization light 95 (FIG. 7) to reduce or eliminatebacteria and viruses. The optional UV light 95 may be automaticallyactivated upon a sensor triggering the presence of a person. In oneembodiment, the sink basin 20 my also cover an air dryer so a user candry his/her hands.

Finally, in another embodiment, the rotatable sink 1 may be operated bya foot pedal (not shown) which is connected to the rotatable sink 1 by,for example, either a mechanical or electrical signal. In still anotherembodiment, the rotatable sink 1 may have a handle 75 which allows auser to manually rotate the sink basin 20 from the stationary member 10.The optional handle 75 (FIG. 7) may be especially useful if the sensor50 fails to work.

Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein,it should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing itsattendant advantages.

I claim: 1) A sink comprising: a stationary unit secured to a wall; asink basin wherein the sink basin rotates from an upward position to adownward position with respect to the stationary unit; wherein the sinkbasin collects water; and a pivot wherein the sink basin rotates withrespect to the stationary unit at the pivot. 2) The sink of claim 1wherein the sink basin is prevented from rotating into a position lessthan five degrees with respect to the floor. 3) The sink of claim 1further comprising: a first side of the sink basin and a second side ofthe sink basin. 4) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a faucetsecured to the stationary unit. 5) The sink of claim 4 wherein thefaucet is concealed by the sink basin when the sink basin is in theupward position but wherein the faucet is visible when the sink basin isin the downward position. 6) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: asensor to automatically rotate the sink basin at the pivot.
 7. The sinkof claim 4 further comprising: a sensor to automatically turn on thefaucet when the sink basin is in the downward position. 8) The sink ofclaim 1 wherein the sink basin has a front and a back and wherein theback of the sink basin is open. 9) The sink of claim 1 furthercomprising: an automatic soap dispenser unit secured to the stationaryunit. 10) The sink of claim 1 further comprising: a UV sterilizationlight secured to the stationary unit. 11) The sink of claim 1 furthercomprising: a handle on a front of the sink basin. 12) The sink of claim1 further comprising: a first side panel attached to the stationaryunit; a second side panel attached to the stationary unit; a front panelattached stationary unit; a bottom unit attached to the stationary unit;and wherein the first side panel, the second side panel, the frontpanel, the bottom unit and the stationary unit collective create ahollow reservoir for receiving water from a faucet. 13) The sink ofclaim 12 wherein a pivot for the sink basin is located on the first sidepanel and the second side panel.